Amen to all that's been written. Thanks so much for this site. Kate ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Smith" <barbannesmith@bigpond.com.au> To: <aus-qld-brisbane@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: Re: [AUS-QLD-BRISBANE] NLA newspaper digitisation project - agreatsite for information on family members & online accessto databases >I can't say any more (or any better) than has been said. > This site has changed everything for my family history. > I am completely hooked on Qld history 1860-1900. > What a godsend. > > barbara > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Perplexed" <awhitefo@bigpond.net.au> > To: <AUS-QLD-BRISBANE@rootsweb.com>; <aus-qld@rootsweb.com>; > <aus-melbourne@rootsweb.com>; <aus-nsw-hunter-valley@rootsweb.com>; > <aus-german@rootsweb.com>; <aus-nsw@rootsweb.com>; "'aus-immigration'" > <aus-immigration-ships@rootsweb.com>; <aus-qld-ipswich@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 9:44 PM > Subject: [AUS-QLD-BRISBANE] NLA newspaper digitisation project - a > greatsite > for information on family members & online access to databases > > >> Apologies for cross-posting, but I think the site I'm writing about is >> one >> of huge interest and great value to family history researchers in >> Australia. >> >> >> >> It's specifically Australian, doesn't cost to use and I have to say I've >> been having an absolutely great time browsing family names and locations >> >> from the newspaper digitisation project being run by the National Library >> of >> Australia. See >> >> http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home >> >> >> >> I cannot praise the project too highly. It's given me absolutely >> unexpected >> views of what my families throughout Australia >> >> did in everything from their spare time to their working habits. I know >> from family history that my Bouffiers from the >> >> Hunter Valley were wine makers, that's why they were brought out from >> Germany. But, the NLA project has fleshed my knowledge >> >> out much more than this, showing they won numerous medals for their wines >> both in Australia as well as at exhibitions overseas. They >> >> also exported wine to Europe during the 1880s and 1890s. I've just >> finished >> reading an interesting article about the value of exports to >> >> Australia and the need for quality in those exports, particularly aimed >> at >> the wine industry. >> >> >> >> In relation to the Bouffier's spare time, I've found out family members >> helped set up the local cricket club, played intercolonial football, >> >> polo and a couple of family members were in the habit of writing rather >> stroppy letters to the editor complaining about a range of things >> >> which apparently annoyed them. I didn't know any of these things before >> I >> started browsing the NLA site. >> >> >> >> I've also found my great grandfather James Whiteford, born Melbourne in >> the >> 1850s but who worked as a policeman in far north Queensland. >> >> >> >> He's mentioned in police despatches reported in the newspapers of the >> day. >> The newspaper provide details of government >> >> appointments e.g. James was appointed the registrar of births and deaths, >> but not marriages in Coen and the assistant registrar of slaughter >> >> houses for Coen as well. I have scans through the family of shares he >> had >> in the Great Northern Mine. From the newspaper digitisation >> >> project, I've found much more information about the Great Northern Mine >> itself. >> >> >> >> There are a couple of extremely graphic and horrifying articles about his >> police work which give a much more in depth look at his life and >> >> work than I previously knew (and possibly wanted to know!). >> >> >> >> My Whitefords came into Melbourne originally. The NLA site has given me >> information about the property they had in Malvern and its sale >> >> in the early 1900s, details I didn't have previously. >> >> >> >> This is a fabulous resource - I cannot stress too highly how good it is, >> even as a beta project with issues around the digitisation. It gave me >> >> a completely different picture of, and knowledge about, family members. >> >> >> >> It's also really interesting reading from a perspective of the 21st >> Century. >> An article I was reading tonight was about one of the intercolonial >> >> football matches between NSW and Queensland. It goes into some detail >> about >> the "lovely ladies" who attended the match and their finery. >> >> >> >> In terms of searching, there are a huge range of options. You can search >> by >> name, property name, ship names, location e.g. Malvern, Coen or Cooktown >> etc. >> >> You can choose to look only at certain papers, you can look at decades, >> at >> individual years etc. I've found family land records, sales records of >> >> everything from land, to horses, to hogsheads of wine. >> >> >> >> It's also a work in progress. When I first browsed a few weeks ago for >> Bouffier there were approximately 90 mentions, there are now 152, without >> >> looking at variations such as Buffier. So keep visiting and enjoy!!!! >> >> >> >> For names such as McGrath, search using M'Grath, as this also bring up >> hits. >> >> >> >> It also can be used to search for information about overseas conditions >> and >> areas of interest. While I have in excess of 4000 hits for Coen which I >> will make my way >> >> through there are over 56,000 hits for Ireland. >> >> >> >> Now I don't plan to look at all of those but more of interest to me is >> that >> a search for "Famine Ireland" brings up 1,200 references. A search for >> Invernessshire >> >> brings up around 90 hits. It opens up a world of information online for >> people. I think we should spread the word about the site around the >> Australian family >> >> history area of interests. >> >> >> >> One other point - get a reader's card for the National Library - any >> Australian resident can do this now. They now have a great range of >> online >> information and >> >> databases for browsing, including a number of family history / genealogy >> websites. See the NLA home page for this. >> >> >> >> Cheers all >> >> >> >> Anne >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Toowoomba Dead Persons Society >> www.audps.com >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> AUS-QLD-BRISBANE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > > > > > Toowoomba Dead Persons Society > www.audps.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-QLD-BRISBANE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message